Rescuing cast iron skillets - Page 2

HookedOnQ · 03-22-2013, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Budman1

I've done a few, steel wool them, sand blast them, sandpaper them, whichever you prefer, wash them in hot water, soap if you like, then rinse them in hot water, dry them throughly, rub them down with crisco, put them on your preheated gasser, about 300-350, for about 3-4 hours or longer, and presto, you will never cook with another store bought "coated" pan again. cast iron is the bomb. We have about a dozen- pans, griddles, dutch ovens, that we regularly use, and we love them.

trust me, do them on your gasser and not in your house oven.

+1 on doing them outside on ur gasser and not in the oven.. Ask me how i know

Budman1 · 03-22-2013, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HookedOnQ

+1 on doing them outside on ur gasser and not in the oven.. Ask me how i know

Been there, done that, not fun. At least I found out the smoke alarms worked.

fantomlord · 03-22-2013, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagokp

I had my wife's grandmothers cast. They had caked on layers of carbon and it was flaking off.

I got a 5 gallon bucket filled 4/5's with water and put in a can of Lye I got from Ace Hardware. I put in the skillets one at a time. It ate off all the crap. Wearing gloves and eye protection through all my encounters with the Lye water. The Lye will eat up most of the carbon and get you back to the metal. Then you can reseason and use like they were new.

You can use the Lye solution several times. Just make sure you add the Lye to water and not water to Lye.

You can pm me if you want. I have a stubborn skillet in lye water for over a month now....

+1 on the order of addition there...nice basic chemistry lab safety to keep to.

have you tried electrolysis on the stubborn skillet? you can look here for some info:
http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/20...ctrolysis.html

retired trucker · 03-22-2013, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tish

I have a dedicated skillet, too. Nothing but cornbread. Comes out fantastic!

Just how far is Pa. from Atlanta? To far to make it for supper I guess. DARN!

luke duke · 03-23-2013, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagokp

I had my wife's grandmothers cast. They had caked on layers of carbon and it was flaking off.

I got a 5 gallon bucket filled 4/5's with water and put in a can of Lye I got from Ace Hardware. I put in the skillets one at a time. It ate off all the crap. Wearing gloves and eye protection through all my encounters with the Lye water. The Lye will eat up most of the carbon and get you back to the metal. Then you can reseason and use like they were new.

You can use the Lye solution several times. Just make sure you add the Lye to water and not water to Lye.

You can pm me if you want. I have a stubborn skillet in lye water for over a month now....

You sure did that the hard way. You could have just put it in the oven on the self-cleaning cycle and reseasoned it. The self-cleaning cycle works well on pizza stones too.

chicagokp · 03-23-2013, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke duke

You sure did that the hard way. You could have just put it in the oven on the self-cleaning cycle and reseasoned it. The self-cleaning cycle works well on pizza stones too.

Maybe longer, but not harder. You just have to wait it out....

Big George's BBQ · 03-23-2013, 07:38 AM

Dont use soap Hot water salt reseaoning all good It can not hut to reseason

gayler · 03-23-2013, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ever3

What Hometruckin said! They are begging to be used, once you figure out a cast iron skillet you'll never use that nasty non stick stuff again

When I was a kid thats all we had. I never remimber having a problem with anything sticking, and your right, I hate all that non-stick crap!

Budman1 · 03-23-2013, 09:57 AM

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 03-23-2013, 10:19 AM

Check to see if any are Griswolds or even Wagners. Those may be valuable and need to be seasoned carefully, i.e. not sandblasted, to retain their value.

The fact that they are part of your family cooking tradition makes them even more valuable in my view.

Cherrywood · 03-23-2013, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke duke

You sure did that the hard way. You could have just put it in the oven on the self-cleaning cycle and reseasoned it. The self-cleaning cycle works well on pizza stones too.

Exactly what I do with mine. Works great.

J-Rod · 03-23-2013, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hometruckin

I never wash mine. Take coarse salt and rub them down to remove any bits of rust or remnants and rinse under cold water NO soap. Wipe with some lard or crisco and heat those babies up. Wipe down again with paper towles, and get to cookin!

^^^this^^^

Congrats on getting heirloom cast iron pans! I love mine, so much you'd have to pry them from my cold dead hands!

cholloway · 03-23-2013, 12:34 PM

If you decide to use Crisco or another solid shortening, it's recommended to melt it before applying it to the CI.
And yeah... do the seasoning outside if you can.

kevine · 03-23-2013, 01:26 PM

I don't mean to jack your thread, but I have a similar question. I picked up a CI skilled that has the paint/ceramic coating on the outside. I got it real cheap because some of the coating was cracked/chipped off. I tried hitting it with my weed burner and got it red hot, but the coating did not come off. I've also tried a wire wheel on the coating. Any one here got any suggestions for getting that stuff off?

Budman1 · 03-23-2013, 02:46 PM

I wouldn't know where to begin. Will it chip off with a hammer?

Btw, Semper fi.

03-23-2013, 07:38 AM	#22
Big George's BBQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 02-07-08 Location: Framingham, MA Name/Nickname : George	Dont use soap Hot water salt reseaoning all good It can not hut to reseason __________________ Large BIG Green EGG- Hatched 8/17/09 Backwoods Extented Party- sold Weber Genesis Gasser Mid Atlantic BBQ Association KCBS Back Porch BBQ Competition BBQ Team Proud Member of the Zero Club When all else fails ask yourself WWGALD

03-23-2013, 09:57 AM	#24
Budman1 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 02-13-13 Location: Wyoming County, N.Y.	a little cast iron pRon.. __________________ UDS, Mini-UDS, Weber OTS, smokey joe, gasser, 3 pie irons, and a weenie fork. [URL="http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/group.php?groupid=34"][COLOR="Blue"]Secret Squirrel Society[/COLOR][/URL] - Nope, doesn't exist. Bob Semper Fi

03-23-2013, 10:19 AM	#25
HeSmellsLikeSmoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-07 Location: Warren, Vermont	Check to see if any are Griswolds or even Wagners. Those may be valuable and need to be seasoned carefully, i.e. not sandblasted, to retain their value. The fact that they are part of your family cooking tradition makes them even more valuable in my view. __________________ Jim - Another transplanted Texan Former KCBS CBJ Large and Medium Big Green Eggs , Black 18.5" WSM, Blue Weber Performer - Stainless, Green Weber OTG Kettle , Brinkmann SnP Pro, and a Stainless UDS. One retired Portable Kitchen grill. Red Thermapen, Maverick ET-732, EdgePro Apex Sharpener. Avatar is the original 1951 Weber Kettle

03-23-2013, 12:34 PM	#28
cholloway Babbling Farker Join Date: 05-10-11 Location: East of Atlanta, GA. Name/Nickname : Colin	If you decide to use Crisco or another solid shortening, it's recommended to melt it before applying it to the CI. And yeah... do the seasoning outside if you can. __________________ Colin - "Drinking alcohol can cause memory loss... or worse, memory loss" New Braunfels Hondo Offset New Braunfels Bandera (Refurbished & Improved) Char-Broil 450 (Purchased new in 1981) 1996 Blue Weber SS Performer Weber charcoal Go-Anywhere 2 Weber SJSs & modified stock pot Mini-WSM Weber rotisserie, Rib-O-Lator & Smokenator system Blackstone Tailgater Combo & STOK Island gasser

03-23-2013, 01:26 PM	#29
kevine Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 12-28-10 Location: Valencia, CA	I don't mean to jack your thread, but I have a similar question. I picked up a CI skilled that has the paint/ceramic coating on the outside. I got it real cheap because some of the coating was cracked/chipped off. I tried hitting it with my weed burner and got it red hot, but the coating did not come off. I've also tried a wire wheel on the coating. Any one here got any suggestions for getting that stuff off? __________________ Green OTG; Black OTS; UDS; mini-WSM; Weber Genesis Silver; USMC 86-94

03-23-2013, 02:46 PM	#30
Budman1 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 02-13-13 Location: Wyoming County, N.Y.	I wouldn't know where to begin. Will it chip off with a hammer? Btw, Semper fi. __________________ UDS, Mini-UDS, Weber OTS, smokey joe, gasser, 3 pie irons, and a weenie fork. [URL="http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/group.php?groupid=34"][COLOR="Blue"]Secret Squirrel Society[/COLOR][/URL] - Nope, doesn't exist. Bob Semper Fi